of revifing the Liturgy and Articles of the Church of England. Octavo. 1790. Now as the chief part of that respectable body, for whose service this liturgy, and those articles were constituted, feems to be perfectly fatisfied as to their propriety, as likewife of the inexpediency and danger of changing them, we may fairly furmife, that this work is fabricated by fome difcontented member of the established church, if not by fome foe to it. Thus much is extracted from it by the author of the pamphlet: Does it follow that buman learning has no concern with fcripture doctrines? Would to God the learned men had ever thought fo, and would think fo now, then should we have been freed from learned creeds, learned confeffions of faith, and learned articles of religion. From these words, I think we may eafily collect the principles and caft of the performance from which they are extracted. By the form of their infertion, and conclufive fenfe, they appear to be a broken period of the reasoning of an advocate for the alteration of established forms. This author, with many others of the fame ftamp, feems inclined to act like some of our modern heirs of fashion, who without confideration, do often hazard pulling a good old mansion about their ears, because they think it wants fome whimsical invention of the present date, and which, being the growth of fancy

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more than pofitive benefit, is likely to be neither valuable, nor permanent.

In the fenfe that I view the drift of this quotation, I am led to contend, that in the common course of things, it is wholly unavoidable, but that human learning muft have fome concern with fcriptural doctrines. When our bleffed Lord, delivered his divine precepts, they were perfectly understood by thofe among the populace who were difpofed to bear them, being spoken in the language of their country. But that fuch an astonishing miracle should be performed to render their promulgation poffible, is alone an unanfwerable proof of the pofitive necessity of human learning being employed, as foon as ever the effect of thefe miracles ceafed, in order that the gofpel fhould be extended to every nation, where God fhould pleafe to appoint it to be preached. And had learned men ever followed fuch advice as this author recommends, or would think it right to do fo now, then, though we might not have had what he calls learned creeds, learned confeffions of faith, and learned articles of religion, we fhould never have heard of the gofpel, nor have had any faith or religion at all, unlefs new miracles had been exhibited to extend that knowledge. It is almoft waste of time to expose such shallow reafoning. Learning then, is no difcredit to the gospel, but the ordinary inftrument,

inftrument, under God's providence, to extend its bleed effects. It was defigned for the improvement of all defcriptions of mankind, rich and poor, learned and ignorant. How could any tranflation of the facred volume have ever appeared in our mother tongue, without the gift of learning? What dispelled the deplorable darkness of error and fuperftition, that prevailed in former ages, but the general increase of knowledge? And they who have unhappily imbibed a wrong turn of mind from want, or abuse of education, and through the force of fatal prejudice; may certainly reap prodigious benefit from the learned labors of men of fuperior talents, and advantages in point of study, than themselves; who have written in defence of chriftianity, and en gage perfuafion, by dint of deep and learned reafoning:-What :-What would become of many fuch, without the remedy of this fecondary means at hand to open their minds, reform their manners, and to stem the torrent of that ruinous infidelity, which in every age hath been reftricted in its deftructive progrefs, by the happy triumph of found and pious learning? It is certainly an invaluable bleffing appointed by heaven, as inftrumental to the conviction and converfion of this clafs of men particularly. As to the lower ranks of people, how many are there fill (notwithstanding all the improvements of the prefent age, and the universal advancement of literature) who can

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not read; whose faculties are quite uncultivated? and from the very nature of their occupation must remain so, without the inceffant tutoring of those provided to instruct them? What competent information could these receive concerning many abftruse, but important parts of fcripture, without the communications of the learned and the ftudious? Whofe acquaintance with antiquities, and fkill in languages, effentially contribute to the expounding and facilitating the understanding of the facred oracles. In short, without the acquired knowledge of the scholar, thus, conveying inftruction through the different channels of human learning, men must have continued in a savage state of hopeless heathenism.

As to CREEDS, they are abfolutely neceffary in religion, and especially to the lower order of fociety. They afford in one fhort, and ready view, all the most effential articles of the christian faith, and thereby help to have them better remembered by the common people. Candid and judicious inquirers know, that we ufe them as an apoftolical fummary, not as an invention of defigning learned men.

Such creeds as we employ, will not hurt the unlettered part of the community. If they did contain any thing fo profoundly learned, that their tenets could not be immediately and suffi, ciently

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ciently warranted by the bare word of fcripture, they might still prove ferviceable to thofe of more exalted stations, who have leisure and abilities to investigate fuch matters. The expofitions, that have been occafionally made of them, are calculated to do much good to those whofe curious minds require a reafon, upheld by human wisdom (no lefs than the exprefs letter of revelation) for every thing propounded to them. And a very incumbent and commendable exertion it is, in all whom providence hath qualified for the task, to labor for the conviction of fuch of their brethren (whether high or low) who need affiftance proportionate to their fituation and abilities. Thus through the indifputable advantages to be derived to all, by means of learned attainments, God leaves his creatures without excufe, as far as fome neglect to ufe their talents for the public good, or others refuse to profit by fuch defireable helps.

CONFESSIONS OF FAITH AND ARTICLES OF RELIGION have likewife ever been judged by wife and holy men, to be conducive, at certain periods of ecclefiaftical revolution, to general good, and the establishment of order and uniformity of worship. They have been always confidered by the majority of mankind, as a happy means of preventing the growth of heterodoxy, confufion, and divifion among the members of

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